According to current techniques for distribution of television advertisements, advertising breaks are defined according to a schedule. Television programs are designed to accommodate the schedule of advertising breaks. When the time for an advertising break comes, the television program ceases to be shown to viewers, and one or more advertisements are shown instead. At the end of the advertising break, the television program may resume, or another television program may start.
One drawback with this model of television advertisement distribution is that the producer of the television program cannot control the occurrence or timing of the advertising breaks, which can lead to incongruous, inappropriate, or ineffective advertisements being displayed to viewers. Advertising breaks according to a fixed schedule can be disruptive to the natural flow of a television program. For example, sports leagues have gone so far as to change the rules of the game to accommodate so called “television time-outs”. As a result, the viewer experience may be degraded, and the effectiveness of the advertisements may decrease.